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United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the aerial warfare branch of the United States armed forces and one of the seven Uniformed services of the United States|uniformed services of the U.S.. Previously part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947.80 P.L. 235, 61 Stat. 495 (1947); Air Force Link, (2006)Factsheets: The U.S. Air Force. Retrieved April 7, 2006. It is the last branch of the United States military to be formed. The USAF is the largest and most technologically advanced air force in the world, with about 6013 manned aircraft in service (4,282 USAF; 1,321 Air National Guard; and 410 Air Force Reserve); approximately 160 Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles, 2161 Cruise missile|Air-Launched Cruise Missiles, and 580 Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles; and as of September 30, 2006, had 334,200 personnel on active duty, 120,369 in the Air Force Reserve Command|Selected and Individual Ready Reserves, and 107,000 in the Air National Guard. An additional 10,675 personnel were in the Standby Reserve, and the Air Force employed 168,558 civilian personnel. The USAF is currently planning a massive Reduction-in-Force (RIF). Because of budget constraints, the USAF will reduce the service's current size by 40,000 full time equivalent positions by 2011, with approximately half to be eliminated in FY 2007. Approximately 35,000 active duty positions (ADPs), or one year's cycle of enlistments and retirements, will be eliminated over 5 years.Air Force Print News, (2006). "Force shaping necessary for AF budgetary management". Retrieved June 8, 2006. The current size of the active-duty force is roughly 70% of that of the USAF at the end of the first Gulf War in 1991. 1991 510,000; 2006 352,000 Not all of the United States' military combat aircraft are operated by the USAF. The United States Army operates its own helicopters, mostly for support of ground combatants; it as well maintains a small fleet of fixed wing aircraft (mostly Unmanned Aerial Vehicles). The United States Navy|Navy is responsible for the aircraft operating on its aircraft carriers and Naval air stations, and the United States Marine Corps|Marine Corps operates its own combat and transport aircraft. The United States Coast Guard|Coast Guard also maintains transport and search-and-rescue aircraft (SARA), which may be used in a combat and law enforcement role. All branches of the U.S. military operate helicopters. The Department of the Air Force is headed by the civilian United States Secretary of the Air Force|Secretary of the Air Force who heads administrative affairs. The Department of the Air Force is a division of the United States Department of Defense which is headed by the United States Secretary of Defense. The highest ranking military officer in the department is the Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force|Chief of Staff of the Air Force. Mission 1. According to the National Security Act of 1947 (61 Stat. 502) which created the Air Force: In general the United States Air Force shall include aviation forces both combat and service not otherwise assigned. It shall be organized, trained, and equipped primarily for prompt and sustained offensive and defensive air operations. The Air Force shall be responsible for the preparation of the air forces necessary for the effective prosecution of war except as otherwise assigned and, in accordance with integrated joint mobilization plans, for the expansion of the peacetime components of the Air Force to meet the needs of war. 2. §8062 of Title 10 US Code (10 USC 8062) defines the purpose of the Air Force as: *to preserve the peace and security, and provide for the defense, of the United States, the Territories, Commonwealths, and possessions, and any areas occupied by the United States; *to support national policy; *to implement national objectives; *to overcome any nations responsible for aggressive acts that imperil the peace and security of the United States. 3. The stated mission of the USAF today is to "deliver sovereign options for the defense of the United States of America and its global interests — to fly and fight in Air, Space, and Cyberspace".Air Force Link, (2005). Air Force releases new mission statement. Retrieved December 8, 2005. Administrative organization Force structure The permanent establishment of the USAF, as of 30 September 2006, consisted of: *Active duty forces: **57 flying wings, 8 space wings, and 55 non-flying wings **9 flying groups, 8 non-flying groups ***134 flying squadrons, 43 space squadrons *Air Force Reserve **35 flying wings, 1 space wing **4 flying groups ***67 flying squadrons, 6 space squadrons *Air National Guard **87 flying wings ***101 flying squadrons, 4 space squadrons The United States Air Force and its Air Reserve Components field a total of 302 flying squadrons. Operational organization